This CME Expert Has Beautiful Advice for Healers Who Teach

This month, CEP America will be holding Spring Symposia, its annual CME conferences, in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. These events bring together providers of different specialties, backgrounds, and skillsets. They're a great place for providers who work for CEP America to learn together so we can better serve our patients.

Perspectives recently sat down with Diana Goodwine, MD, clinical education director for our Spring Symposia and a recent recipient of CEP America's Distinguished Service Award. In today's post, she talks about how CEP has nurtured her passion for education and shares advice for tomorrow's leaders.

Perspectives: Hi Dr. Goodwine. To start with, can you tell us what sparked your interest in medical education?

Education has been a passion for me for as long as I can remember. As a resident, I discovered my passion for ultrasound and started organizing workshops for physicians, NPs, and PAs. Things definitely snowballed from there.

One thing I love about education is the ripple effect it can spark. About six years ago, when I was working at MacNeal Hospital in Chicago, I taught ultrasound-guided peripheral IV placement to a handful of nurses. Then I left to work in California.

I returned to MacNeal a few years later and was delighted to see that the nursing staff had been teaching one another the procedure. In fact, about three-fourths of them were now performing it.

On a personal note, I’ve found that teaching is one of the most satisfying aspects of my career. I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing clinicians — in particular with PAs and NPs who are motivated to work at the top of their licenses. It's always fun when someone texts or calls after a workshop and says, "Guess what I just diagnosed?"

Perspectives: What's involved in organizing the Spring Symposia? It sounds like a huge undertaking.

Well it was especially interesting this year, because I actually went out on maternity leave in January. Meanwhile, our first symposium kicked off on April 5!

Another challenge we face every year is providing continuing education opportunities that are relevant to all of our providers and practice lines. As our Partnership changes (and healthcare changes around us), we need to adapt. This year, we organized our curriculum into four tracks to meet the priorities identified by our CME committee: trauma, geriatrics, critical care, and acute psychiatry.

Finally, there's timing. Once one year's symposia finish, we pretty much turn around and start working on the next year. Since I was going on leave, we had to get our ducks in a row extra early in 2017. We did wrap up all the key stuff early, which was great.

For me, stepping back after that to go on maternity leave took a lot of faith. Because if you've ever organized a big event, you know there are always last minute hiccups no matter how well you plan. But I trusted my committee and our MedAmerica events team to keep us on course, and they totally came through.

Perspectives: How can providers who are interested in leadership step up?

My biggest piece of advice is to find good mentors. Make connections with people you respect, and nurture those relationships into friendships. For example, my mentorship with [CEP Vice President] Janet Young came naturally, because I knew early on that I trusted her and felt comfortable seeking her advice.

Also, don't be afraid to ask for what you want. If you want to be involved in an area of leadership like clinical education, make your voice heard. One great thing about CEP is that our leaders want to know your interests and goals. It's part of our culture, and they'll help you get where you want to go.

Finally, if you see a need that you think you can meet, go for it. For example, we have a lot of providers at MacNeal who are hungry to learn about the latest advances in emergency medicine. So I organized a journal club, and we run it the way you might run a book club among friends.

It starts with some social time so everyone can get to know each other better. Then we dive into the educational aspect, where we discuss a few papers and share our insights and experiences. It's a nice way to learn and grow as professionals in a fun, no-pressure setting.

Perspectives: Once you've had a leadership role for a few years, how do you keep yourself motivated and excited?

One of the most important ways is to pay it forward. When you see promising leaders coming up the ranks, reach out. Mentor them the same way someone mentored you.

You can do this for anyone on your team, from your assistant medical director to a scribe or tech who's interested in career advancement. Some of my most fulfilling teaching and mentoring experiences have involved our PAs and NPs. They're incredibly motivated to learn and develop their skills, and it's exciting to see how fast they progress.

When mentoring people, it's important to be genuine. Find out what they’re interested in. Look for opportunities to help them get involved.

You can also draw from your own experiences. In my case, I worked at several different EDs early in my career. So I really understand what new attendings and clinical leaders need when transitioning into a new team and try to offer that support.

But however you do it, find a way to give back. It's a great way to keep your practice fresh and meaningful. Also, I'm a big believer that serving others always comes back to you.

Great article Diana. Thank you for the opportunities to work with you on similar endeavors. "Paying it forward" gives dividends at least as much for the mentor as it does for the learner - as you point out. Appreciate all your hard work and success.

About CEP America

CEP America is one of the leading providers of acute care management and staffing solutions in the nation. Founded in 1975, we now serve more than 6.3 million patients at over 250 practices throughout the United States.